Red Tongues and Hands
by ohnymphatic
Summary: My own take on the relationship between Lupin and Tonks, from pre-OOTP through to DH (hopefully!). POV of Tonks for now, although you might see some of Remus' in later chapters. M for language and later chapters. Canon. Title is from the song 'The Wolves' by Ben Howard, in case you were wondering :-)
1. The Most Peculiar Day

**This is the first time I've tried this, so please go easy on me!  
**

**Tonks' POV for now, but we'll see how it goes. Sorry this is a bit of a slow one, it'll get better I promise! **

**Enjoy! Reviews would be really appreciated. :)**

* * *

**Chapter One - 24th June, 1995**

It was a still and peaceful night, quiet except for the distant sound of muggle traffic and the quiet hum of business from the kebab shop three floors down. The small flat was silent; it's only resident soundly sleeping after what had been one of the most peculiar days she'd ever had.

* * *

Work had been stressful from the start – before the news of the day's events had even gotten out, Tonks was falling dangerously far behind with her paperwork. She had planned on knuckling down and getting as much done as possible, but the constant interruptions became too much and she eventually gave in to her colleagues and joined them, late afternoon, in Williamson's cubicle. Four of them, Tonks, Proudfoot, Williamson and Savage, then spent the next few hours listening eagerly to the Wizarding Wireless Network's coverage of the final task of the Tri-wizard Tournament.

"Nothing this exciting ever happened when we were at school," Tonks had grumbled, kicking her feet up on the desk and ignoring the disapproving looks it earned her.

"Must feel like yesterday to you eh, Tonks? Heck, you were probably still there when little Potter started his first year," Proudfoot mused, the patronising tone clear in his voice. Tonks shot him a dark look but didn't bother correcting him – she'd learnt from experience it did no good to rise to his goading.

The commentary had gotten dull as the champions worked their way through the maze, which had led to conversation striking up between the four colleagues. Although none of them were as nightmarish to work with as Dawlish, Tonks soon realised she had nothing in common with the three men, and found herself with very little to say. Before too long, however, the wireless interrupted them with an explosion of noise as the commentator announced Potter's victory. The cheering and singing faltered, however, and were replaced with distinct sounds of horror and distress.

It was as if the auror headquarters had suddenly come to life, and as the commentator went on to describe the tragedy of Diggory's death, Dawlish appeared at Williamson's cubicle and, after casting a disapproving glance at the four obviously slacking from their work, instructed that they all follow him to Scrimgeour's office. The commentator continued describing the event, and as the four of them filed out of the cubicle, a snippet of what he was saying caught Tonks' attention. Her eyes widened in shock – surely Potter wasn't claiming that Voldemort had returned and killed the Diggory boy? She felt a brief pang of grief for Cedric's death as she recalled that they used to play quidditch together - he had been made seeker in her last year of school - but quickly forced herself to focus on the more important matters at hand.

The meeting had lasted well over two hours, and as it drew to a close most of the aurors were grumbling about being kept so late. Tonks, on the other hand, was feeling outraged for a different reason. The more she had thought about it, the more Potter's claims started to make sense, and, after all, why would a kid like him want to draw more attention to himself by making something up like that up? She'd spoken up at one point and voiced her opinion, which had resulted in several dirty looks along with stern words from Scrimgeour.

"_Nymphadora_," he had started, twisting her name in a way that made it sound like an insult, "The minister himself was present at the scene of Diggory's death. He has assured me on good ground that there is no sign that You-Know-Who has risen, or that any of his followers were present today. Are you disputing his word, and therefor the word of the ministry itself?"

Tonks had had to bite back the retort that had been on the tip of her tongue.

"No, sir," she'd replied through clenched teeth, before sitting back in her chair and folding her arms.

It was all bollocks, she thought to herself wryly. What came as even more of a shock was the news that Alastor Moody, who had been mentor to her throughout her years of auror training, hadn't been teaching at Hogwarts all year as they had been believed, but had been kept prisoner in his own trunk whilst Barty Crouch Jr. impersonated him all year.

It was too much of a coincidence, Tonks decided, that a known ex-Death Eater had chosen to overpower Mad-Eye Moody, one of the most vigilant and accomplished wizards she had ever known, the same year that Potter had somehow been entered into the tournament that he now claims led him straight into Voldermort's path. She shook her head, and allowed her thoughts to turn to Mad-Eyes wellbeing.

As soon as the meeting was dismissed, she'd left the ministry and apparated straight into Hogsmede, where she made her way towards the looming castle as she knew it was where she would find him. As deep in her thoughts as she had been the past few hours, she hadn't noticed how the eyes of Kingsley Shacklebolt had bored into her through the majority of the meeting in a way that, had she been paying attention, she would surely have found very uncomfortable.

It wasn't the first time she'd been back at Hogwarts since she'd left, but it was a strange feeling all the same. A strong sense of nostalgia hit her as she passed the great hall, and as she made her way towards the Hospital Wing she realised a feeling of home surrounded her back in this place. She did notice the school seemed very quiet, but of course that was to be expected following the tragic day that had passed. She didn't encounter anyone on her journey, and it wasn't until she arrived at her destination that she saw any sign of life at all.

Minerva McGonagall was deep in conversation with Madam Pomfrey as Tonks approached, but as soon as they noticed her they stopped speaking and turned to face her. McGonagall greeted her with a small smile, which Tonks returned before pulling her old teacher into a hug. It was probably unprofessional of her, but Tonks couldn't shake the nostalgia she was feeling and it seemed natural to greet one of her favourite teachers in this way. When they broke apart, McGonagall was smiling properly, and stood back to admire Tonks' robes.

"Congratulations on becoming an auror, Nymphadora," she smiled, ignoring Tonks' grimace at the use of her first name, "I know my congratulations is belated but it truly is a pleasure to see how far you have come. You should be proud of yourself."

"Wow, professor, thank you," Tonks beamed, taken aback by the unexpected and heartfelt praise from the teacher who always disapproved of her mischievous ways.

"You are aware, I'm sure, that I am no longer your professor. You need no longer address me as such" McGonagall replied warmly, as Tonks found herself being embraced by a chuckling Madam Pomfrey.

"I'll stop calling you professor when you stop calling me Nymphadora," Tonks winked, with a cheek that few would dare use when addressing Minerva McGonagall. However her old teacher merely smiled and shook her head, muttering something that sounded vaguely like "they never change."

With a smile, Tonks turned to Madam Pomfrey.

"Can I see him? Mad-Eye, I mean," Tonks asked, realising neither women had asked her why she was there. They must have assumed.

"Oh of course, dear," the matron smiled, excusing herself quickly from McGonagall, and led the way to the ex-aurors hospital bed. "He's still very weak though, don't get him all pepped up. I can only allow fifteen minutes I'm afraid."

Tonks nodded absentmindedly, thinking back to all the times she herself had ended up in the very same ward. There were definitely too many occasions to keep track of – pranks gone wrong, bludgers to the head, not to mention all the times she'd ended up getting hurt thanks to her own clumsiness. She chuckled softly at the memories, but the smile was wiped clean off her face at the sight of her old mentor, lay flat out in a loose-fitting hospital gown looking more withered and fragile than she ever could have imagined.

Taking a seat in the chair next to his head, Tonks swallowed hard before reaching for the old man's hand. He stirred slightly, and she swallowed again.

"Wotcher, Mad-Eye," she said softly, giving his scarred hand a squeeze.

His magical eye whirled in his skull, finding her, and slowly his normal eye opened too.

"What're you doing here, lass?" He asked gruffly, struggling to sit up.

She stood up quickly to help him re-arrange his pillows, but he batted her away, heaving himself to a sitting position. She forced a smile on her face and morphed some colour back into her cheeks, as she was sure the sight of him had made her go pale.

"Looking out for you, of course," she grinned, sitting back down. "Someone's got to stay constantly vigilant; it seems you've given up that motto," she winked, chuckling half at her own joke and half at the absurdity of the situation.

He grunted in response, looking past her out the window on the opposite side of the ward. Tonks shifted uncomfortably in her seat, trying to find something to say. It had never been hard to make conversation with Mad-Eye, and she was never shy of cracking jokes at his expense, but she didn't know how to approach this new, weak version of the man she'd come to know. As strange as it sounded, even to herself, she had to admit she'd grown a bond with the scarred ex-auror. He was like a father to her, and truthfully it scared her that someone as reliable and sturdy as him could get himself into a state like this.

"What have they told you? At work?" He asked suddenly, bringing her out of her thoughts.

She told him about Scrimgeours meeting, how she had been reprimanded her for voicing her opinion, and how the rest of the office seemed to go along with it all. He grunted, not seeming surprised, but his magical eye seemed to be searching her face in the same way she'd have noticed that Shacklebolt's had been earlier, had she have been paying attention. She noticed this time, however, and it was unnerving.

"Cut it out, Mad-Eye," she frowned, nodding towards the magical eye that was still focused on her face.

He apologised gruffly, sent the eye spinning in the other direction, and went back to staring out the window.

Tonks couldn't think of anything else to say, so she stood up to leave. Mad-Eye turned, fixing both eyes on her this time, and studied her for an uncomfortable moment before speaking.

"Do you believe him?" He shot at her, the magical eye seeming to bore straight into her soul.

"Who? Fudge?" Tonks asked incredulously, to which Moody nodded. "Of course not! He's off his bloody rocker, that one, denying what's happened right in front of his nose!"

She bit her tongue, wondering if she'd said too much. Mad-Eye no longer worked for the ministry, but maybe this was a test.

"But of course, what Scrimgeour says goes. Who am I to question it?" She added quickly, hoping this somehow rectified her outburst regarding Fudge's stupidity.

After another slightly uncomfortable moment, Mad-Eye grunted approvingly at her, before looking away again. Just at that moment, Madam Pomfrey appeared again and ushered Tonks away to leave him to get his rest.

After a quick goodbye, Tonks left the castle, suddenly realising how exhausted she the day had left her. She apparated back to her flat and fell straight into bed, fully clothed, not noticing the little owl that was perched on her windowsill or the small envelope that was tied to its leg.

* * *

With a start, she sat bolt upright, glad to have woken from the disturbing dream she'd been having. She'd been locked in the bottom of Mad-Eye's trunk for what felt like days, with no-one helping her and no feasible escape. She shuddered at the thought of what Mad-Eye must have gone through, and tried to take her mind off the dream by searching for what had woken her up so suddenly.

A small owl was fluttering around her bedroom, hooting for her attention, and she sighed before getting out of bed and taking the parchment from its foot. A glance at the clock told her it was only 1am; she had barely been asleep for two hours. With a resigned sigh, she made her way over to the flat's dingy kitchen and put the kettle on, flipping lights on with her wand as she went.

The envelope was addressed to her, in a small untidy scrawl that she vaguely recognised, though she couldn't think where from. She tore it open rather shoddily, and pulled a small piece of parchment out from inside it.

The message was brief, and she had to read it twice to make sure she hadn't read it wrong.

_Nymphadora Tonks, _

_Your presence is urgently requested at the home of one, Arthur Weasley.  
I apologise for the short notice, everything will be explained upon your arrival.  
If you could floo to The Burrow as soon as you receive this, I would be very grateful._

_Regards,_

_Kingsley Shacklebolt_

She blinked at the parchment in front of her, utterly confused. She recognised Weasley's name as a ministry employee, but she was sure they'd never spoken. As for Shacklebolt, they worked together on a day to day basis but he'd never invited her to spend time with him outside of the office. Was this some sort of twisted chat up line?

She shook her head. The letter was far too formal to be a friendly gathering, and at one in the morning? Something didn't add up.

She considered ignoring the note all together and going back to bed, but with a deep sigh she knew curiosity would win her over eventually anyway. She stood in front of the mirror in her living room, morphed her hair a bright turquoise and darkened her eyes a little, before gathering up a handful of floo powder.

Still fully dressed in yesterday's clothes, she shook her head at what she was about to do, before stepping into the green flames, uttering the words "The Burrow", and feeling herself fall into the unknown.

**To be continued... **


	2. The Burrow

**Chapter Two - 25th June, 1995**

For a short moment, the world was a blur of hearths and fireplaces of houses across the country. The moment quickly passed, however, and Tonks found herself stepping into what looked to be a very lived in, cosy kitchen.

Brushing herself off, she straightened up and looked around at her surroundings. A large wooden tabled filled the majority of the room, and there were two mugs of tea, abandoned, at one end of it. Tonks could see light seeping in through a doorway on the other side of the room and cautiously made her way towards it.

"Hello?" She called out, suddenly feeling very vulnerable, and decided it was bloody cruel of Shacklebolt to have not given her even the slightest clue as to what she was doing here.

She'd almost made it to the doorway when she felt her ankle collide with something hard, and the next thing she knew she was lying face down on the cold, tiled floor. Groaning, she turned to find her foot tangled around the leg of an un-tucked chair. She gave it a kick, along with the iciest look she could muster, before picking herself up from the floor with as much grace as she could.

To her utter annoyance, she stood up to find herself face to face with a very amused looking Kingsley Shacklebolt, who seemed to be trying hard not to laugh. She stared him out, morphing the blush away from her cheeks, and squared her shoulders as he opened his mouth to speak.

"That was quite the enterance, Nymphadora-" He began in his deep, booming voice, quite obviously mocking her.

"It's Tonks," She interjected coldly, not caring if he was her superior – they weren't in the office now.

"Sorry," he smirked, watching her for a response. "Tonks it is." She narrowed her eyes, waiting for him to continue talking and sighing heavily when he didn't.

"So, are you going to explain why you've summoned me here in the middle of the night or am I going to be able to go home and get some sleep?" She asked him sarcastically, looking him in the eye and hating the fact she was as short as she was.

"It wasn't the middle of the night when we summoned you," Kingsley chuckled, which infuriated her even more, but motioned that she follow him through the door. Begrudgingly, she trailed after him, still feeling thoroughly annoyed at her co-worker and hoping for his sake that whatever she was here for was worth it.

As they entered the next room, her eyes widened in shock and she froze in the doorway, mouth hanging agape in surprise. Quickly realising she probably looked like a deranged, blue haired gold fish, Tonks composed herself, smoothing down her robes and wishing she'd showered or at least gotten changed before leaving her flat.

"Auror Tonks, it's been a long time," Albus Dumbledore smiled at her, his blue eyes sparking as he rose from his seat in a very comfy looking armchair to shake her hand.

"Um, yes, professor, a pleasure," Tonks stammered, returning his handshake as she stumbled towards him. He motioned for her to take a seat on the sofa opposite to him, to which she complied, and was irritated to find Shacklebolt taking a seat next to her. He could have at least warned me, the bastard, she thought as she shot him a cold look through narrowed eyes. He was smirking at her again, which she tried to ignore.

Tonks glanced around the small living room, which, like the kitchen, was very cosy and lived in. The room was empty but for the three of them and one other smiling, redheaded man who she took to be Arthur Weasley. She returned his smile, before turning to Dumbledore, who had been watching her face intently. He offered her a small smile, before opening his mouth to speak.

"Nymphadora-"

"It's Tonks," she'd interrupted without thinking, and suddenly worried she'd overstepped some kind of line, that it wasn't acceptable to interrupt somebody like Dumbledore when they were talking to you. He merely smiled, however, and continued speaking.

"My apologies, Tonks," he continued, a sparkle in his eye. "I'm sure that you recognise Arthur here from the ministry. He has very kindly allowed us to invade his home at this unearthly hour."

Dumbledore nodded towards the redheaded man, who extended his hand to her. She shook it briefly, before turning back to Dumbledore, still feeling none the wiser as to why she was there.

"You are, I'm sure, wondering why you were summoned here," he continued, and she got the distinct feeling he was reading her thoughts. She shook her head at the idea, and nodded her confirmation to the old man's words. He smiled apologetically at her for a moment, before sitting forwards to explain.

Tonks listened, wide-eyed, as Dumbledore told her of his plans to reform the Order of the Phoenix. She learnt that there had been a meeting with the original members earlier that evening, and that she, along with Kingsley and some others, had been recommended to him as possible new recruits. He warned her how dangerous accepting the position could be, how it could put her career, safety and wellbeing at risk, all of which she nodded to without really thinking.

She had heard about the Order the last time around, as a young girl, mainly from her mother and that loud, mischievous cousin of hers. Her _favourite_ cousin, who she had doted on, the one that had betrayed them all and broken her mother's heart. The feeling of distain was bubbling up inside of her, just as it did every time she thought of that man, when Dumbledore's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"There is something else you must know, and please allow me to speak before passing judgement," he began in a much more calculated voice than before, studying her face again. He was waiting for her to respond, so she gave a small nod before he went on.

"Your cousin, Sirius Black, is not a murderer. He is an innocent man who was wrongly accused for thirteen years, and he is on our side."

Tonks felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. She stared at Dumbledore, wondering for a moment whether he'd gone completely insane, or if this was some kind of test. His patient expression never faltered, however, and slowly Tonks drew in a deep breath, looking him in the eye.

"How can you know?" She asked bitterly – she refused to believe that it was true, that an innocent man could have spent thirteen years locked inside Azkaban charged with one the most horrendous crimes she could think of – worse, a crime he had not committed.

After a short pause, Dumbledore sighed. He told Tonks, in detail, of how the truth had been uncovered a year ago by Potter and his friends. He told her of that piece of scum Pettigrew, how he had been assumed dead and had escaped all that time ago in his animagus form, and was now believed to be working alongside Voldemort.

Indignation was fast clouding Tonks' mind, and she found herself not listening to the rest of the story – her long lost cousin had been proved innocent more than twelve months ago and no one had bothered to tell her? Of course, she believed Dumbledore; she had no reason not to. But a year had passed and she was only finding out now, that for the past fourteen years the cousin she had grown to hate, for betraying her mother and tearing their lives apart, had been innocent all along. She was hurt and confused, but most of all, she wanted to see him.

She realised that Dumbledore had finished speaking, and she looked up at him, making no effort to hide the torrent of emotions that were probably plain to read on her face. His piercing blue eyes seemed to be x-raying her, gauging what her reaction would be.

"Where is he?" She asked in a voice smaller than her own. She felt Kingsley's shift in his seat a little, as if he'd been waiting for this answer too. Tonks glanced up at Arthur, who flashed her a sympathetic smile, before looking back to Dumbledore. He directed a similar, small smile her way before speaking.

"He is at his family home, Tonks. Incidentally," he was addressing the both of them now, sitting forwards in his chair, "he has kindly volunteered the house to serve as a headquarters to the Order of the Phoenix. Any future meetings will take place there, and it will serve as a place to stay for anyone who does not wish to travel. There will be a meeting there tomorrow night – I won't press you for an answer now, I appreciate it is a big decision and one you must think on. But should you decide to accept your invitation, to take your positions in the Order, meet us there tomorrow evening at 8. Take this, memorise it, then destroy it. Show no one else - the location of the headquarters must stay an absolute secret. Am I understood?"

Dumbledore had passed her and Kingsley a small piece of parchment, with an unfamiliar address scrawled onto it in Dumbledore's loopy script. At his last words, which Tonks noted made him sound more head-master-y than she'd heard all evening, the two of them nodded. The seriousness of the situation had begun to sink in to Tonks, and she wasn't sure if it was down to fatigue or what she had learnt, but a feeling of unease was beginning to overwhelm her.

Voldemort really was back. Was this the beginning of a war? It certainly felt that way, Tonks mused, as her and Kingsley said their goodbye's, thanking Arthur again for allowing them to use his home.

As she shook his hand, Tonks looked up at Dumbledore's face, noting for the first time how old he really looked. He was not the man she would have expected to lead an army into battle, but then again, if anyone was going to lead a fight for the greater good it would be him. There was something so reliable about a man like that, someone who had lived through so much yet still managed to be so full of optimism he really believed they could win this.

Smiling slightly to herself, Tonks gave one final wave goodbye, and stepped back into the fireplace before flooing home.

Emerging back into her flat's small living room, she glanced hopefully at the clock on the wall. 3am, it read, and she heaved a great sigh, realising she'd have to be up for work in less than four hours. For the second time that night, she fell into bed fully clothed, into a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

Dragging herself out of bed the next morning had been painful. She'd dawdled, spending too long in the shower, deliberating for a good ten minutes over what colour hair to choose (she'd gone with violet) and allowing herself the luxury of sitting down to coffee and a muffin at a muggle café on her way to work.

When she finally strolled into the office almost an hour late, no one said anything to her, the only acknowledgement she received being a small smile from Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Entering her cubicle at last, Tonks flopped down into her chair and sighed at the ever-growing pile of paperwork on her desk. Opening the most recent file, she grimaced as the face of Barty Crouch Jr. sneered out at her from the page, licking his lips in the most revolting of ways. Supressing a shudder, she got to work writing a long, tedious report on yesterday's case that had ended in his receiving of the Dementor's kiss.

An hour or so in to her writing her mind began to wander, as it so often did when she was stuck writing up reports. She thought about how horrible a punishment it would be, to receive the kiss of a Dementor. How would if feel to not have a soul?

Her thoughts drifted to the Dementors of Azkaban, a dismal place she had visited only twice in her life time, both alongside Mad-Eye Moody during her years of auror training. She shuddered at the memories, trying to imagine how it would feel to be imprisoned there for someone else's crime.

She was deep in thought about her cousin's cruel fate when a soft knock came at her cubicle door. She scrambled with the folder in front of her, trying to sit up and look like she was doing something useful, and managed to knock a pot of ink all over her desk.

"Bugger," she'd mumbled, performing a quick _tergeo_ at the sodden papers before looking up at her visitor. She almost scoffed at her predictably bad luck.

Kingsley Shacklebolt stood in the doorway of her cubicle, looking amused, and she rolled her eyes at his small smirk.

"Can I help you?" She asked him sarcastically, peeved that he'd caught her acting like a moron for the second time in less than twenty-four hours. He chuckled at her, closing the door behind him and taking a seat on the other side of her desk. She noticed him cast a quick Imperturbable Charm as he did so, which she frowned at slightly.

"So, Tonks," Kingsley started, smiling and leaning back in his chair, "given any thought to Dumbledore's proposition?"

Tonks blinked at him. What a stupid question, she thought; she had barely stopped thinking about it. She'd known what her answer would be from the moment Dumbledore had mentioned the Order, of course, but even so – she had not been able to stop the scenarios from rushing around her head; her parent's faces on hearing the news that she'd been killed in battle, or losing her favourite cousin for a second and final time.

"Of course," she replied matter of factly, darkening her eyes a little. She couldn't shake off what it was about Kingsley that really irked her, she just wanted him out of her office.

He seemed to be waiting for her to continue, and when she didn't he shook his head, laughing softly, as he stood up.

"See you at the meeting, Tonks," he smiled, before undoing his earlier charm and opening the door. "I want that report on my desk first thing tomorrow, d'you hear me?"

His sudden change in tone had startled her slightly, but he winked at her as he left, and for the first time that day she felt a smile spreading across her face. She was going to be a part of the Order, alongside Kingsley, Dumbledore, and, most importantly, her cousin Sirius.

Knowing it would only make time move slower, she tried to look at the clock as little as possible for the rest of that afternoon, burying her head in paperwork. She was surprised to find, after what felt like just a couple of hours, that people were beginning to leave their cubicles to go home, and a glance at the clock told her that it was half past five.

With a bounce in her step and an excitement she hadn't felt for a long time, she gathered up her things and practically skipped towards the Atrium with just one address on her mind.

_12 Grimmauld Place._

**To be continued... **

* * *

**AN: I know this chapter is pretty slow, but I decided to give her first meeting with Sirius (and Lupin!) it's own chapter instead of cramming it all into one! I'm not sure I got Dumbledore quite right, it was very scary trying to write him! Haha!**

I'm so grateful to those of you who read the first chapter and favourited/followed etc, I honestly wasn't expecting anybody to read it this soon! Please review if you have the chance, I'm currently beta-less so any comments, whether criticism or not would be very helpful. Thank you! :-) 


	3. The Two Meetings

**Chapter Three - 25th June, 1995**

She'd apparated back to her flat briefly, deciding it was probably more appropriate to change into something a little more 'Tonks' for her first meeting with her newly-innocent cousin. She settled on a scuffed, skin tight pair of jeans, her favourite Weird Sisters shirt and her cosiest zip-up hoodie, all under the deep red cloak that she wore nearly everywhere. After a quick glance in the mirror, where she'd paused to darken her eyes the muggle way and morph hair into long, messy pink waves, she stuffed her wand into her pocket and set out for the two meetings she had been looking forwards to all day.

She chose to make the short journey by foot, suddenly feeling rather anxious about her reunion with Sirius and knowing the crisp evening air would give her chance to clear her head. It was cold for June, and Tonks pulled her cloak tighter around herself and she began to consider what was about to transpire.

It had been more than a decade since she'd last seen her cousin, and she could feel her palms beginning to sweat as she began to daydream about all manner of things that could go wrong tonight. Had anyone told Sirius she was joining the Order? What if he didn't approve of her being there, or, worse still, didn't want to get to know her again? Would he recognise her after all this time? Would he still be the same, fun loving man she had come to adore all those years ago?

She was soon brought sharply back to earth, wound up in her thoughts as she had been, and found herself stumbling over something, probably her own booted feet. It was with a start that she realised where she was – what appeared to be a completely normal, muggle neighbourhood – that was distinctly sign-posted as Grimmauld Place. Her eyes scanned the row of houses, searching for a number twelve, and for a moment she could not find it. The second the thought crossed her mind, however, a scabby-looking front door appeared, followed by walls, windows, until an entire London townhouse had squeezed its way between numbers eleven and thirteen.

Tonks stood in front of the newly formed number twelve, smiling broadly at what had just unfurled. She had, of course, read about the level of protection a Fidelius Charm could provide, but never had she witnessed a full house being uncovered in such a way, and found herself feeling honoured to be in on this secret that only a handful had been trusted with.

She bounced up the steps to the front door, noticing her earlier anxiety seeping away to be replaced with the excited buzz she'd been feeling all morning, and rapped loudly on it before letting herself in.

Just as she was closing the door behind her, a voice came from over her shoulder, and she whipped around to see who it was. In that one swift movement, she felt her left foot get tangled around her right and, next thing she knew, she had landed with a harsh thump square on her arse.

The speaker, who had simply called out an enquiring "hello", rushed to her side, looking ready to aid her in any way he could. Tonks grinned sheepishly up at him and, refusing the hand he offered her, picked herself up off the floor before brushing off the dust that a few seconds on the floor seemed to have left her covered in.

As she straightened herself up, still rubbing her backside where she was sure there would be a bruise come morning, she examined the man in front of her. He was tall, a lot taller than her anyway, and tired looking, as though he hadn't had a decent night's sleep in weeks. His hair was peppered with grey, although he didn't look especially old, and he was wearing the kind of patched up, well-worn clothes that you might expect from a muggle grandfather. He looked like a very bookish kinda guy, Tonks mused, the kind you might find yourself discussing literature and drinking tea with on a rainy, Sunday afternoon. She shook her head at that last thought, and smiled up at the bloke, whose face was still riddled with concern.

"Wotcher," she beamed, holding out her hand, "name's Tonks. Surname, I mean, but it's what I go by. I'm a… new recruit, I s'pose you could say."

She was still grinning, waiting for him to accept her handshake, and watched as his expression flicked from concerned to slightly bemused. He eventually extended his hand, and she shook it eagerly before looking back up at him.

"Good handshake," she commented, nodding approvingly at him, "very firm."

He finally smiled at her, chuckling slightly, before stepping back a little to allow her to pass him in the tight corridor.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," he apologised as they began to walk, his voice softer than she would have imagined, "we weren't expecting anyone to be arriving this early. I'm Remus, by the way."

His smile was warmer now, and Tonks noted how bright it seemed in their current environment as they squeezed through the dank, dark hallway. She grimaced at the grime the place seemed to be shrouded in, wondering how long it had been since the revolting Black family had lived in this home; she tried, as she always did, not to remember that they were her own family too.

The long corridor had just opened out into a wider hallway when Tonks suddenly found herself tripping on a snag of a rug she hadn't noticed before, swearing loudly to herself as she grabbed Remus' arm to keep her upright.

Not a second later, a hair-raising screeching was coming from somewhere in the room, and Tonks instinctively drew her wand, ready to defend herself from the oncoming attacker.

"_Shape-shifting traitor, filthy half-breed, how _dare_ they infiltrate the noble House of Black,_" the voice was screaming, and Tonks watched in alarm as a door in front of her flew open, revealing a furious looking man with a dishevelled head of wild black hair. He, along with Remus, raced across the room to where Tonks could see a portrait of a vile looking woman, who continued to shout her obscenities as the two men wrestled to close curtains on her that appeared to have flung open with her screams.

On the third or fourth attempt they were successful, and the sudden absence of sound left the room feeling almost too quiet. Dumbfounded, Tonks slowly lowered her wand and shoved it back in her pocket, still staring at the portrait that had just moments ago been insulting her.

"The fuck was that?" She asked, still in shock, as the two men made their way back over to where she was standing.

"_That,_ was my beloved mother," the man that wasn't Remus grimaced irritably, and Tonks finally took in his appearance as Remus started to introduce them.

"Tonks, this is Sirius. I trust that Dumbledore has explained… what happened," Remus was explaining, but she wasn't listening. Her eyes were searching her cousin's face, looking for the handsome, mischievous, fun loving guy he once had been, but she found little trace of the old Sirius in this new, hardened man. It was obvious he did not recognise her – he was starting to look uncomfortable under her searching gaze. She flashed a dazzling smile at Sirius, waiting for him to place her surname with the shape shifting baby cousin that he had once known.

"You don't recognise me, do you?" She asked after a moment, still grinning at him, her eyes sparkling daringly. She noticed Remus frown, looking between the two confusedly.

"You two know each other?" He asked Sirius, who merely shrugged in response, still totally oblivious as to who she was.

"Only through our own flesh and blood," Tonks winked, "I can't believe you don't recognise your own cousin!" She feigned indignation as she watched Sirius' eyes widen, looking her up and down in disbelief.

"…Dora?" He spluttered, and she nodded, laughing at his disbelieving expression. "But… you were so small! And now you're… all, you know…" his sentence trailed off as his eyes raked her body in a way that made her feel the need to remind him that she was, after all, his baby cousin.

Tonks laughed again, revelling in how natural it felt to be in the presence of a man who, until yesterday, she had believed to be an escaped mass murderer, and watched as his face broke into a grin of its own.

"Bring it in, big 'cuz," she beamed, opening her arms. She found herself being engulfed in a huge, typically-Sirius bear hug, realising it was the same hug she remembered from all those years ago. She breathed in his musty scent, feeling totally at home in his big arms and almost completely forgetting about Remus' presence in the room.

As they pulled away, she felt herself left with the oddest sensation that she was close to tears, and quickly blinked away any trace of such emotion – Tonks was definitely _not_ the kind of girl to cry in front of company, or full stop for that matter.

Sirius was still smiling widely as he explained their family ties to Remus, who was looking approvingly between the pair. After a short moment, Sirius turned to the open door he had emerged from just moments before and called for both Tonks and Remus to follow him down a flight of stairs.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Remus motioned for Tonks to take a seat as Sirius busied himself preparing a pot of tea for them all. She planted herself in a chair at the end of a long dining table that stretched across the room, and noticed Remus take a seat opposite her. The room was damp and cavernous, and Tonks found herself feeling grateful for the cosy hoodie and cloak that she was still wearing.

Seeming to notice her discomfort, Remus pointed his want at the large fireplace that she'd noticed on the far wall, and almost immediately a warm glow had begun to fill the room.

"I haven't seen him smile like that in years," Remus muttered earnestly, tilting his head towards the stove where Sirius was still preparing their drinks.

Tonks smiled at him, feeling a warm glow fill her chest at the idea of having her cousin back in her life for good. She ached to tell her mother of the news, and made a mental note to ask for Dumbledore's permission to do so the next chance she got.

A mug of steaming hot tea appeared before her, and Tonks flashed Sirius a grateful smile before wrapping her hands around the cup, blowing softly at the boiling liquid. Sirius took a seat at the head of the table, between her and Remus, a grin still broad on his face that made him look younger than the man he had become.

"I can't believe it, Dora, I… I can't believe you're here! How did you know?" Sirius stumbled over his words, his eyes not leaving her face as he spoke. Tonks felt her smile falter slightly, realising suddenly that Sirius obviously didn't know she was a part of the Order – he thought that this was merely a family visit.

"I'm joining the Order, Sirius," she explained, "Moody recommended me to Dumbledore and he told me to come here for the meeting tonight. I figured getting here early would give us chance to catch up."

Sirius' face had lit up once again at her words and he was grinning from ear to ear.

"Moody recommended you?" Remus asked her, sounding impressed.

"He was my mentor during auror training. I guess he thinks I'm good enough," she shrugged.

"Well, bugger me!" Sirius exclaimed, his grin wider than ever. "Did you hear that, Moony? My baby cousin's an auror!"

Remus was smiling at her, and seemed to be studying her face carefully. Possibly wondering how such a messy-looking twenty-something had completed the auror program, she thought to herself with a smile. It was a reaction she was used to, and she enjoyed the respect she often received when people learnt of her position – part of the fun of being a metamorphmagus was being able to look as vibrant and outrageous as she liked yet still be taken seriously thanks to her status at the ministry.

"What's with the nickname?" She asked Remus suddenly, wondering if he was prone to displaying his arse to innocent people, or if the name had stemmed from elsewhere. She noticed colour rise in the man's cheeks and his eyes dropped to the floor, whilst Sirius laughed softly at him.

"Moony here is our resident werewolf; we gave him the nickname back at school. I myself was padfoot," Sirius explained, and a second later he was gone, a huge, shaggy back dog standing in his place.

Tonks laughed in amazement, scratching the dog behind the ear, before turning back to Remus. He wasn't meeting her eye, and was shifting very uncomfortably in his seat.

"I'm sorry. That's gotta suck," she smiled sympathetically. The word 'werewolf' had suddenly jogged a memory and, without really thinking, she found herself recounting the story to Remus and the shaggy black dog.

"I came face to face with a werewolf once, during training. It was… hideous, really, what he'd done, it made me sick. When it came to questioning him with Mad-Eye I was all for locking him away without a trial," she flashed an apologetic look towards the dog at this point, who was watching her intently. "That's what I said to Moody, and all - thought he was gonna hex me on the spot when I did. He told me I'd get nowhere in life with an attitude like that, told me to forget everything I thought I knew about werewolves and hear the guy out. So I did, and I'm telling you I've never felt guiltier in all my life. He was 17, the kid, it was his first transformation. His family had disowned him after he'd been bitten and he didn't have a home to go to, so he'd tried to barricade himself inside an abandoned warehouse. It hadn't worked, obviously, but he didn't remember anything he'd done. It was heart breaking, really, and when Mad-Eye explained what had… what he'd done, he'd pleaded with us to lock him away. I don't know what happened to him in the end but it made me realise what it's all about, the lycanthropy. It's a tough break." She smiled sadly at Remus, who returned the gesture, albeit hesitantly.

Sirius, transformed back into his usual self, was beaming at Tonks.

"See Moony, I knew she was a good'un!" He chuckled, clapping Remus on the back. Remus nodded in agreement, although his smile didn't seem to meet his eyes, and Tonks worried that perhaps she may have breached the sensitive topic too soon.

The three of them continued talking, laughing and catching up on lost years for the next hour, however, and it didn't take long at all before Remus was back to his old self.

At around half past seven, the orange flames of the fire turned to green, and Arthur Weasley emerged from them, followed shortly by a plump, redheaded woman that Tonks assumed was his wife. She recalled briefly how she and Charlie Weasley, who must have been one of their oldest sons, had had a bit of a fling during her fifth year, and suddenly found herself growing rather hot under the collar as she was faced with the mother of the boy she had had her way with all those years ago.

Morphing away her blush, she offered the couple a grin, which was returned by them both.

"Molly, Arthur, this is my long-lost cousin, Nymphadora Tonks," Sirius smiled by way of introduction, and Tonks noticed Remus smile slightly at the sound of her first name.

"Just Tonks," she assured them, shooting Sirius a look of mock-offence, who laughed his barking laugh in response. Molly Weasley smiled warmly at her, before clearing the empty mugs from the table and setting them to wash themselves magically.

Soon, people began to file into the room, some Tonks knew, others she had to be introduced to by Sirius or Molly, the latter of whom seemed to be doting on her despite the initial concern she had shown towards the candyfloss pink hair and overly-dark eye makeup.

To Tonks' dismay, one of the last people to enter the room was Charlie himself, along with his brother Bill, and she greeted them both with a hug before having to explain to Molly how they had been good friends at Hogwarts. By eight o' clock, there were almost twenty people squeezed around the long table, the most surprising being Severus Snape, who seemed very out of place and not much wanting to be there.

The moment the clock struck, the flames in the fire turned green once more, and out stepped Dumbledore, who smiled warmly at them all. He took a seat at the head of the table before welcoming everybody, his hands clasped together on the table in front of him.

He spoke to the group at large at first, explaining to them exactly what had occurred the previous day and what Fudge was trying so hard to cover up. Tonks noted that Dumbledore, like herself, was not afraid to speak Voldemort's name, despite the obvious discomfort that other members around the table expressed – she, along with Remus, Mad-Eye, Sirius and Snape, seemed to be the only ones that didn't flinch at the word.

They were told that their biggest focus for now was identifying and tracking possible death eaters, although he did have an inkling about what they were working towards, which he would let them know about in due course. He personally requested from Tonks that she notify him of any tip-offs that the office receive, no matter how small or ridiculous they appear to be. She nodded, promising herself that she would do just that, and he continued.

Dumbledore then asked from Kingsley, who was sat to her right, that he keep feeding the ministry false information about Sirius, to which Kingsley agreed, and Tonks found her eyes widening as she looked across at her colleague with a new found respect.

She knew that joining the Order would put her career at risk, they all did, but Kingsley seemed to be at the greatest risk of all. It was with great admiration that she realised he must have been mislaying the ministry since he was first placed in charge of Sirius' investigation, and thanked her metaphorical stars that her family history had meant Fudge had forbidden her from being involved with that particular case.

After a few more personal requests and an overall thank you to everyone who was there, Dumbledore was gone, too soon for Tonks to corner him with her request of telling her mother the news about Sirius. A glance at the tall, dusty grandfather clock in the corner told her the meeting had only lasted just under an hour, and it was only nine o' clock.

Some of the members had begun to leave, but most were helping themselves to drinks and talking in small groups. Tonks had just gotten up to pour herself a glass of firewhiskey when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Mad-Eye staring at her, looking very thin but other than that surprisingly well compared to the way he had been just yesterday.

"You alright, lass?" He asked her gruffly, looking at her with his real eye while his fake one span wildly in its socket. To anyone else it would have sounded like he was making friendly chitchat, but Tonks knew Mad-Eye better than that and understood that his question had a deeper meaning.

"I'm fine, Mad-Eye, I know what I'm doing," she smiled, strangely enjoying the feeling of being cared for that his question had given her. He studied her face for a moment longer before grunting his approval.

"Right you are, then. Wouldn't have recommended you if you weren't capable, would I?" He asked, more to himself than to her, and with a final nod and pat on the shoulder he turned to leave.

Tonks smiled to herself and watched him limp his way up the stairs before turning back around to get herself a drink.

She poured herself a generous glass of firewhiskey before moving over towards the fire which was roaring in the hearth, taking a seat in one of the armchairs that faced towards the flames. Sirius had already occupied the armchair opposite and he was deep in conversation with Kingsley, so Tonks sat back and watched the fire dance, sipping her drink slowly and enjoying the hot sensation it left in her throat.

She didn't know how long she'd been sat there, knees curled beneath her as she stared into the flames, but the next thing she knew the room was empty again but for her, Remus and Sirius.

Remus had conjured up a chair and was sat between her and Sirius' armchairs, and the two of them were quietly discussing Harry's wellbeing. She glanced again at the clock, seeing it was still only just gone ten, but found herself yawning hugely as she stretched out her legs. The two men had stopped their conversation, she realised, obviously having been interrupted by her yawn, and Sirius was chuckling slightly.

"I should probably make a move," she told them, downing the last of her drink before standing up and stretching out her limbs. She noticed Sirius' face drop, and felt a pang of sympathy for him, having to live in this huge, horrible place 24/7.

"Are you sure? We have plenty of rooms here, you could stay," he suggested, looking at her hopefully. She smiled sadly at him, shaking her head.

"Nah, I should get home, I've got work tomorrow," she sighed, feeling guilty as she saw his face drop again. She shouldn't feel too bad, she decided, he had Remus to keep him company. "I'll pop round tomorrow after work though, if you like."

His face lit up at her suggestion and he was smiling again, and she couldn't help but notice a small smile creeping onto Remus' face too. She grinned, which swiftly turned into a yawn, before leaning forwards to hug them both goodbye. They both offered to walk her out and she politely declined, smiling hugely at them both nonetheless.

It had been a long two days, she thought to herself as she reached the front door and let herself out, careful not to trip on anything this time to risk waking that awful portrait again. As she reached the bottom of the steps outside the front door, she paused for a moment to look back at the looming house, smiling at the memories of that evening. Then, with a final glance at the peeling front door, she turned on the spot, thinking only of her warm, squashy bed as she apparated back home.

**To be continued…**

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**EDITED 17/10/2013 - Literally, the only change was from her having dated Bill to having dated Charlie. This may seem trivial but it might be important a bit further on ;) Also a big big big apology to everyone following, I know it's been ages since I have updated but my life has been absolutely non-stop the past couple of months, I've started college which was a big leap from high school and I'm still trying to balance school work with actual work... safe to say it's been hectic. I haven't forgotten about you guys or this fic though and I've made a proper plan this time around of how things are going to pan out, it's gonna be good! Currently working on the finishing touches of chapter four, it should be up by the weekend (fingers crossed)! Sorry again, you're all fabulous for sticking around 3**

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**AN: Thank you so much for the reviews and favourites/follows so far, they are so appreciated! Keep em coming, they truly make my day!**

**Sorry for the swearing in this chapter, but let's face it, Tonks is that kind of girl ;) Also I feel like I should apologise for the lack of 'instant attraction' between Lupin and Tonks so far, which most of the fics I have read about them seem to have had. I just don't feel like their relationship would have started like that, I've always imagined it being a... slower process, I suppose. She's too caught up in meeting Sirius again at the moment, anyway :P  
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**As always, if you enjoyed it or have any constructive criticisms or what not please review if you have the chance! You guys are the best 3**


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